Fifty-three young American hockey players will have a chance to make the 2008-09 U.S. World Junior Team. The good/bad news from a Colorado standpoint: No DU or CC players were on the list.

It’s obviously good promotion to have your guys make this team, but it’s so taxing for the players. In the end, I think the program suffers — and not only because they missed the NCAA holiday tournaments.

In last year’s tournament, DU’s Tyler Ruegsegger and Rhett Rakhshani were teammates with CC’s Bill Sweatt. They returned to Colorado and, for the DU boys especially, they were less effective than when they left. Great experience for the threesome, but bad for their schools.

The only kid with a Colorado background on the tryout list is former Littleton resident Drayson Bowman, who plays for Spokane of the Western Hockey League. Bowman grew up playing in the Littleton Hockey Association.

I feel like we’re past the point of introductions, I’ve been here four years now. I’m practically furniture. But I’m Chris Dempsey, and this is the first of what I hope is a long running, off-beat (read: cool) online column.

Now, the purpose of this is to tell you what I feel, because, well, my better is better than your better. But we’ll impart information, involve you, sometimes slip-slide away from normal sports conversation and get to what we all really want to talk about. I’m that guy. This is that space. So be ready to voice your opinion.

Which leads us to this…

Funny how six days can change things: On Friday, we were all – myself included – bracing for the best Western Conference playoffs in the history of the NBA. The Eastern Conference? Who cared? Well, on Wednesday, it’s clear that the Eastern Conference playoffs have been better to this point. Save, of course, for the San Antonio-Phoenix series, which has been the single best first-round series so far.

The West? We had the Nuggets being blown out of Game 1. Dallas has been handled twice by New Orleans. Utah is going to sweep the severely undermanned Houston Rockets. Blah.

The East is where the trash talk (Washington), close games (Orlando over Toronto, Game 2), players rising to the occasion (LeBron James) and upset games (Philadelphia over Detroit, Game 1) have been. The games are compelling, the storylines are addicting, and it has been generally much more entertaining than the glitzy Western Conference. Well see if it stays that way.

Last week I mentioned the Sidney Crosby-Marc Cheverie connection in a blog. Here are some details of that relationship (this story is running on Monday’s page 2). — MC

University of Denver freshman goalie Marc Cheverie, the backup to senior and All-American candidate Peter Mannino, has yet to play for the Pioneers.

However, the unproven youngster already has the stamp of approval from the best hockey player in the world.

Cheverie, 20, grew up with Pittsburgh Penguins star center Sidney Crosby in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia. They went through the Canadian youth hockey system together, and nearly played for the same high school team in Faribault, Minn., home of national power Shattuck St. Mary’s.

“He lived without about three minutes from me,” Cheverie said of Crosby, the reigning NHL scoring champion and Hart Trophy winner as player of the year. “Same junior high, same novice team. He got me into Shattuck, but it wasn’t the right timing. They needed a goalie, and they wanted me, but financially it wasn’t really possible. My parents would have paid for it, but I got a better offer to play at Notre Dame in Saskatchewan.”

Their friendship began when each was introduced to the ice at age 5, when they were put on the same team. Crosby, who leads Pittsburgh into Tuesday’s game against state rival Philadelphia, was a natural.

“None of us could skate but him,” Cheverie said. “He was the only good player we had. I remember in novice everyone would say he’s the next great one, but there’s always one of those kids that people say that about. Turns out he was it.”

Cheverie said Crosby is as good at preventing goals as scoring them.

“When we were in junior high every day he’d come over to our garage and we’d do shootouts,” Cheverie said. “He’d be goalie, I’d be the shooter, and then we’d switch. He’s a really good goalie.”

Crosby’s desire to be the best was evident throughout his childhoods.

“In grade seven, he’d call me every day to play mini-put, like mini-golf, and it was the biggest deal to him if he didn’t win,” Cheverie said. “He took it so seriously. I was like, ‘whatever,’ but he had to win. I guess I was good competition because he liked to have me around. But he takes everything so seriously. That’s probably why he’s as good as he is.”